Even though WrestleMania is the biggest WWE show each and every year, and even with the grandeur and spectacle of the event, the show has experienced its fair share of duds, poor booking, and terrible matches over the years. Occasionally, this can happen within someone’s WrestleMania debut, and a poor showing at 'Mania could lead to the derailment of a superstar’s career. Some wrestlers can have a poor debut at 'Mania, with their bout being underwhelming or not living up to expectations, but they can overcome that and continue their careers on a high note, and this has happened more times than fans may think.
10 The Rock – WrestleMania 13
Back when The Rock debuted as Rocky Maivia, he was a clean-cut babyface who lost the support of fans very quickly. Going into his first 'Mania, he would face a family member in the form of Rikishi, though the big man was performing under “The Sultan” gimmick.
The two men didn’t click at all, and the match was poor. The post-match saw The Rock’s father come to his aid and save him from a beatdown, which wasn’t the best way to put over a brand-new babyface, as it made young Maivia look weak, even after a victory. However, The Rock may be perhaps the biggest name to ever emerge from WWE, so he recovered pretty well, to say the least.
9 Trish Stratus – WrestleMania 18
Going into 'Mania 18, Trish Stratus was well on her way to becoming one of the most popular female wrestlers of all time, and not just that, but her triple threat match against Jazz and Lita was in her hometown of Toronto.
In a match that wasn’t anything special, with it being given just six minutes and taking place straight after Hulk Hogan vs The Rock, Stratus would come up short, which was a decision that made little sense. She would bounce back and continue her surge towards immense popularity, but this 'Mania match was underwhelming.
8 Randy Savage – WrestleMania 2
Despite being one of the more prolific 'Mania performers of all time, with several all-time classics, Savage’s time at the show was kicked off with a lackluster start, as he defended the Intercontinental Title against George “The Animal” Steele.
The wrestling in this match was poor, and whilst they both had good charisma, it was a dud of a match, especially when considering it was for such a prestigious belt at the time. Savage would win, but he would have much more prominent 'Mania matches in the years to come.
7 Razor Ramon – WrestleMania 9
On paper, the new, cool, and cocky heel going against the experienced former champion should have developed into a great match. However, this bout was over in just four minutes and didn’t have any sort of high pace or intensity.
If WWE wanted to truly put Ramon over here, then he should have squashed Backlund, but ended up winning with an inside cradle. Thankfully, Ramon would have an all-time classic WrestleMania match the following year to make up for this match on the widely regarded worst 'Mania of all time.
6 Sheamus – WrestleMania 26
Going into his debut 'Mania match with Triple H, Sheamus had already been WWE Champion, but after losing the belt, this should have been a way to regain momentum. However, in an average match, Triple H picked up the win.
Sheamus needlessly lost here, even though he was a young, promising star on the rise. Sheamus would get a win back against Triple H at Extreme Rules 2010 in a Street Fight. The Celtic Warrior would later win a few more World Titles over his career, although a win against The Game at 'Mania would have helped.
5 Ultimate Warrior – WrestleMania 4
Ultimate Warrior was very green coming into his 'Mania debut, but he was very popular. It was baffling to witness him struggle to knock Hercules off his feet in a match that was far too competitive for the four-minute length it had.
The job here was to put Warrior over, and he won, but the match made for painful viewing. Warrior would continue his ascent regardless, with his popularity not letting up.
4 Steve Austin – WrestleMania 12
The most popular superstar of all time had the poorest of first matches at WrestleMania. The man who had some of the greatest 'Mania matches in history kicked off his career against Savio Vega in an average match, which was made worse by one key issue.
The Backlot Brawl between Roddy Piper and Goldust interrupted this match, with focus cutting away which killed all the heat, which it didn’t have much of anyway. It was ultimately a waste of time and could’ve been detrimental to Austin’s career, although thankfully it wasn’t.
3 Booker T – WrestleMania 18
Two future Hall of Famers in Edge and Booker T faced off at 'Mania 18, in a feud that spawned from a Japanese shampoo commercial. That wasn’t the best way to lead into Booker’s WrestleMania debut, and the match which followed didn’t help.
Booker and Edge were not able to accomplish anything noteworthy in just six minutes of ring time, and the match was a waste of time in the grand scheme of things. It would take a few years, but Booker would eventually win the World Heavyweight Championship in the mid-2000s, continuing his Hall of Fame career.
2 Triple H – WrestleMania 12
When looking at the dominant runs on top that Triple H had, with 14 world titles to his name, it may come as a shock to see that he was a glorified jobber in his WrestleMania debut.
At WrestleMania 12, the returning Ultimate Warrior ran through HHH with ease, making him look like a complete afterthought, and it didn’t help that Warrior was far from the performer he was years prior. This could have been disastrous for a young and promising individual, but he would have one of the most successful careers of all time anyway.
1 Daniel Bryan – WrestleMania 28
Daniel Bryan walked onto the main card of his first 'Mania as the World Heavyweight Champion, which was a huge honor. He would open WrestleMania 28 against the Royal Rumble winner, Sheamus, in what should have been a great match. However, he lost in just 18 seconds.
This would kickstart the “Yes Movement”, which developed into Bryan becoming one of the most popular superstars of all time, and this embarrassing loss was swept aside for perhaps the greatest main event win in history just two years later.
Bryan and Sheamus would wrestle on the pre-show of WrestleMania 27. The lumberjack match would be for Sheamus' United States Championship and ended in a no contest.